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NYC / Where do I stay?!

I have no idea where to stay in New York. I'll be there the first week of November. It looks like nothing is under 300$ so my budget is in the 300$ area. I just want a safe, interesting area. Two adults traveling. My main point of interest is the metropolitan museum of art. Any help? Thanks!

No one can assure another of their safety but New York is the safest big city in America.

The public transportation in Manhattan is excellent so you can stay any where but the Met is on the eastside. A friend, who recently passed away, was a docent at the Met and said no not enter up the main steps there is a small entrance to the left. It is much less crowded. We always go through there. If you like the Met you might want to look into spending some time at The Cloisters.

I am not sure where you are looking for a hotel but booking.com has many hotels for $200 or so a night that week.

NYC is generally very safe. When I lived there, there were times when I went out and got back very late. But it wasn't a problem. If you want some budget-friendly places in Manhattan, search Chinatown. It's not ideal, but again it's budget friendly. From there, you can take the subway everywhere. Metropolitan museum is probably 20 minutes of subway (or a bit more) away.

If your main reason for going is the Met I would definitely stay uptown - which will keep you at a little distance from the most frantic area of the city - Times/Square/theater district.

The west side has a lot more moderate/modest hotel choices than the east and is a great neighborhood to stay in - mid/upscale residential with a host of restaurants and shops on the avenues. And it's just a short walk through the park to the Met - or one stop on the 86th or 79th St crosstown bus.

The Newton is a reliable budget property; other good options are the Beacon, Lucern and On the Ave. But you are coming to the city at the most expensive time of year - so I would look at options for for prepayment to lock in lower rates as soon as you have dates.

Someone mentioned they had good luck finding deals through trivago.com - but I've never done it and have no idea how good it is.

We have used travelzoo.com to find great rates at hotels in New York City. Some times of the year are better than others, of course.

When we stayed at Morgans Hotel on Madison Avenue, we used the M4 bus to travel north on Madison Avenue; then it was a short walk over to Fifth Avenue and the Met. We would do the same for other hotels near Grand Central--the Hyatt, the Fitzpatrick, for example.

BTW The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), is probably the best modern art museum in the world. If you have a second day, you
should consider it.

Shop price or the amenities that you like in hotel, NYC is very easy to navigate especially if you are 25. The East Village has a thriving under 30 scene and is the best neighborhood for value restaurants and variety.

I have stayed at the Newton and it is a very nice place. I stayed in a large room over looking Broadway, it was a little noisy but I slept very well. The beds are comfy, the bathrooms are very nice and most important the place is clean.
It is a good base for uptown.

You might also take a look at the Comfort Inn on the Lower East Side. It's not an exciting hotel, but it's a great neighborhood with many interesting shops, bars, and restaurants, and you're very close to the F train stop at Delancy.

If you can't find anything in Manhattan for your price range, then look in Queens. There are several chain hotels in Long Island City, Queens, that are perfectly acceptable. This is by no means an "interesting" neighborhood. But it's safe and close to the subway---and more important between 1 and 4 stops from Midtown Manhattan depending on the line. These hotels are usually less than half the price of a hotel in Manhattan but just as convenient, in my opinion. The most convenient to the subway is the Country Inn and Suites Long Island City, a block from all the trains so you have options in case lines are down for weekend maintenance.

The first Sunday in Nov. is the NYC Marathon which drives up hotel prices. I doubt you'll find any deals on travelzoo or elsewhere for that time period.

Depending on how long you're staying, you may want to stay in Queens for a few nights (Long Island City is closest) and then move to Manhattan. Just make sure you stay near a subway station and you should be fine. The area immediately around the Met is lovely but not many hotels and most are very pricey. The Franklin is probably the closest that might be somewhat affordable but rooms (esp for 1) are TINY. The upper west side, across the park from the Met has more hotel options, some of which have been mentioned already (Newton, Milburn). On the Avenue, Lucerne, Belleclaire are some others. Beaconhotel.com is very nice but likely sold out.